Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine el-Qabbag on Monday met with persons with special needs at COP27 to hear their feedback on access services at the climate conference.
This comes as part of ministry policy to include all persons with special needs in all major events and conferences, a press release said.
People with motor, visual and hearing disabilities have been monitoring services during the preparations for COP27 until the actual event.
The meeting was convened in co-operation with the higher organising committee and relevant ministries and bodies under the auspices of Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli.
The meeting shed light on the best and most successful practices and the challenges that were defeated.
The minister told the meeting that prior to the climate summit she had made several inspection visits of restaurants, transport and hotels.
Recommendations were made in accordance with international criteria of availability to provide all services, the minister added.
Availability offices were opened in the Green and Blue Zones, in cooperation with the UN, and volunteers were trained to help the disabled, el-Qabbag said.
Wheelchairs and golf carts were offered to transport people with disabilities between conference halls.
Specially adapted vehicles brought them from the airport to their hotels. Publications in Braille and sign language interpreters have also been available in the conference halls, el-Qabbag added.
For their part, the people with special needs highly commended the services at the conference and voiced appreciation for the support they received from volunteers.
